George morse guild



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--SheetJ 1.

G. M. GUILD.

MUSIC RACK FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

( No Model.)

G, M. GUILD.

MUSIC RACK POR UPRIGHT MANOS.

Patented Apr. ZZ, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE MORSE GUILD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO H. E. GUILD,OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-RACK FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,268, dated April22, 1890.

Application iled August 231 1889. Serial No.32li76l. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE MORSE GUILD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MusieRacks forUpright Pianos; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and te the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical and transverse section, and Fig. 2 a vertical andlongitudinal section, of the upper portion of an uprightpiano caseprovided with my invention, the music-rack, which constitutes the entirevertical front of the case above the fall-board, being shown as in avertical position. Fig. 3 is a vertical and transverse section of saidupper portion of the case, showing the musicrack as in an inclined orforward position. Fig. d is a vertical and transverse section of thelower part of the rack, showing in side view the devices for supportingthe said rack as they appear when it is closed or vertical. Fig. 5 is avertical and transverse section showing the rack as forward in theposition into which it is drawn previous to the closing of it. Fig. 6 isavertical section of a portion of one end of the case, showing in rearview a part of one end of the musicnrack and its supporting devices.

The object of my invention is to render the musicraek of the pianocapable of adjustment and support at diiferent distances from theplayer, in order to adapt it to the difference in the sight of thevarious persons who may use the instrument, and also to provide meanswhereby the openings for the emission of the tones of the instrument maybe increased or diminished when desired, the na ture of my inventionbeing defined in the claim or claims hereinafter presented.

In the drawings, A denotes the rnusicrack, which constitutes the entirevertical front of the case of the instrument above the fall board andshuts or swings in between the ends B B of the case, as shown, and isprovided on its outer face and at or near its bottom edge with a ledgel), of equal length, or nearly so, with said front for sustaining thebooks or sheets of music applied to said rack. Against the inner surfaceof the front or rack and at or near its top edge are secured arms O O,which project rearward and are each notched in their under edge toreceive or hook onto a pin a., iixed in each of the ends B B of the easeand on which the rack swings when operated. The top L is hinged to thecase at and on drawing the music-rack outward it will rise and lift thesaid top, as shown in Fig. 3.

D D represent the cheeks of the case, and on the upper edge of each issecured a plate F, provided with vertical ears c c, between and to whichis pivoted at d a catch-lever G, having a hooked end e, the point e ofwhich operates with the serrations f of a lever H, pivoted at g betweenand to the ears h of a plate I, secured to the inner face of the munsicu'ack. to sustain said rack in an inclined position.7 (See Fig. 3.)

The catch-lever G is maintained in position by the free end of a springil, secured to the plate F, which spring bears against said leversufiiciently to prevent it from turning on its pivot while theserrations f are beine* moved against and past its hooked end during theoutward movement of the musicuack A. Said catch-lever also has two stops7c Z, and when it is in the position shown in Fig. 4@ the fornier stop7.; rests on a cushion m, secured to the plate F, and the latter stop Zfurnishes a bearing for the musicrack. when said rack is in a verticalposition. Y

The shorter arm o of the toothed lever Il extends downward and has astop o', which, when the teeth of said lever are out of contact with thecatch-lever G, bears against the inner face of the music-rack (see Fig.4) and supports said lever in position. The said toothed lever H, inorder to give to it proper weight, is constructed mostly of metal; butthe part K, provided with the teeth. f, is made of wood, the serratedside being covered with soft leather secured thereto and carried overthe ends of said. part, -it being fixed to the ICO said lever by screwsp p. The teeth, being covered, move against the hooked end e of thecatch-lever with little, if any, noise. The shorter arm 0 of the lever Hhas a block of wood q secured to it, as shown, which works against thepoint e of said hooked end e of the lever G when the music-rack is movedinward and turns said lever on its pivot. The inner end of said leverl-l has a hooked nose r, as shown.

On drawing the music-rack outward to a convenient distance from theplayer, it will be supported in an inclined position by one of the teethf, catching on and bearing against the point e of the hooked end e ofthe catchlever G. (See Fig. 3.) When desired to close the rack, itshould first be drawn still farther outward, and the nose fr of thelever H, catching in the hooked end e of the catch-lever G, will turnsaid catch-lever on its pivot into the position shown in Fig. 5. Nextpush the rack inward, and on the block q coming in contact with thepoint e of the said hooked end e and the music-rack still moving, itwill turn the catch-lever G on its pivot back into the position shown inFig. 4, the cushion n on the inner face of the music-rack bringingagainst the stop Z of said catch-lever. It will be noticed that thespringt' holds the lever G so that the point e of its hooked end e willnot catch in the teeth f while the lever H is moving back during theclosing of the musicrack to a vertical position.

Having described my invention, what l claim isl. In an upright piano,for operating music-rack thereof, the lever ll, having th e the seriesof teeth, the nose 01, the arm o, and stop o', and pivoted to the innerface of the said rack, combined with the catch-lever G, having thehooked end e, the stops Z and Zc, and pivoted to ears extending from aplate secured to the case, said plate provided with a spring to holdsaid catch-lever in position while the lever H is moving against it,essentially as shown and set forth.

2. The catch-lever G, provided with the hooked end c, the stops Za Z, incombination with the plate F, having ears to which it is fulcrumed, thespring e', fixed to the said plate and bearing against said lever, thelever I-I, pivoted to ears ixed to said rack and provided with theseries of teeth, the hooked nose r, the arm o and stop 0', and block q,said lever operating with the catch-lever G to hold the rack indiiterent positions, as may be desired, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the hinged or pivoted piano front, the toothedlever pivoted to said front and having a stop to sustain it in positiontherewith, an arm 0 and a hooked nose, the catchnlever provided with ahooked end and with stops to limit its movement on its pivot, thefulcrum-plate F, and the spring t', to govern the movements of thecatch-lever, all arranged and to operate essentially as shown, and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MORSE GUILD.

lVitnesses:

S. N. PIPER, C. F. DANIELs.

